What JD Vance, Pam Bondi, and Sam Altman Can’t Stop Listening To, According to the ‘Panama Playlists’

From JD Vance’s dinnertime Bieber to Sam Altman’s Shazaming of extremely common hit songs, a web site claiming to have revealed the Spotify listening habits of members of the Trump administration, tech leaders, and journalists is making the rounds.“We’ve been scraping their accounts since summer time 2024. Playlists, dwell listening feed, every part. We all know what songs they performed, when, and what number of instances,” the Panama Playlists web site reads, alleging, “With a little bit sleuthing, I might say with near-certainty: yep, that is them.”Are the entire accounts actual? At this level, it’s onerous to inform. The accounts listed haven’t been independently verified by WIRED. Reporter Mike Isaac from the New York Instances, tells WIRED that the songs listed on the web site underneath his identify matches his actual Spotify listening historical past. 5 of the Spotify listeners from the web site confirmed to The Verge the accuracy of their posted information. So, I’ve spent all morning obsessively listening to each tune on the “Panama Playlists,” having fun with a voyeuristic look into the listening habits of highly effective individuals.Representatives of the general public figures whose playlists had been featured didn’t reply to fast requests for remark.Vance’s potential cooking playlist, which which had been reported on earlier than this drop, has Justin Bieber’s “One Time” and the Backstreet Boys’s “I Need It That Approach” in rotation. The “Panama Playlists” additionally declare US Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi jams out to Nelly’s “Scorching in Herre” and Foreigner’s “Chilly as Ice,” (the latter feels like a mad lib for the administration’s present immigration coverage), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis allegedly streams Miley Cyrus’s “Get together within the USA”, and White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt seems to take pleasure in some Cyndi Lauper with “Women Simply Wish to Have Enjoyable.” (I imply, a few of them additionally need reproductive rights, too).Even homosexual Republicans couldn’t resist the gravitational pull of Brat summer time, it appears, with nominee for US Underneath Secretary of State for Financial Development, Power, and the Surroundings Jacob Helberg listening to Charli XCX’s “Apple” over 50 instances previously 12 months. If the lists are correct, Helberg might quickly change into the member of the Trump administration most on the gay-pop prepare. Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” and Addison Rae’s “Eating regimen Pepsi” clock in as his subsequent high two most listened songs, in accordance with the “Panama Playlists.” I’m wondering how Helberg’s potential boss would really feel about him being a Chappell-head, particularly contemplating the artist mentioned “fuck Trump” final 12 months.The songs Silicon Valley tech leaders allegedly have on repeat are particularly unhinged. The general public Spotify account seemingly linked to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which seems to comply with playlists from one in all Altman’s longtime mates, comprises a number of Shazam playlists of recognized tracks, from Dixon Dallas’s “Good Lookin’,” a homosexual parody of nation music, to Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On.” Elliott’s ubiquitous hit is especially simply the lyrics “get ur freak on” repeated time and again, making it notably ironic to Shazam. Extra songs that Altman seems to have Shazamed embrace: “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the Individuals, “Legal responsibility” by Lorde, “The A Staff” by Ed Sheeran, “Fly” by Nicki Minaj, and “Make You Really feel My Love” by Adele.